Technology
In a normal fantasy Universe, technology is limited and primitive. I would even say they got to a certain point, and went backwards ''if that fantasy universe is based on the Romance of the Middle Ages. In a Fantasy Universe based on the Hellenic Age, you have examples of high technology and even stand on the prepupice of an Industrial Revolution. Since this a fantasy universe based on the Hellenic Age, it's not impossible to have such a factor introduced into the fantasy. Unlike World of Warcraft, where a pseudo-medieval world and a pseudo-barbaric world are feeling pressure to Industrialize by the Dwarves, the Gnomes, the Goblins and to a lesser extent, the humans; Phaeselis exists in a world of engineers that make somewhat high tech devices that meshes in a world where the sword, the spear, and the shield are still the weapons of choice. Hellenistic Science Before we examine Hellenistic technology, the idea of Hellenistic science must be explored. Hellenistic Science had it's start with a triad: '''Hesiod', Thales, and Pythagoras of Samos. This was the start of Hellenistic Science, as Hesiod wrote down the Theogony, and Thales and Pythagoras were at the roots of Greco-Roman Science1. Greek Science, however, didn't really take off until the development of an actual scientific method by Theophrastus and Strato, who were most likely members of the Peripatetic School of philosophy, which was started by Aristotle. These two were the first to immerse themselves into a study of Nature around them along with a study of physics. However, most men of learning really disdained looking at things practically. Theophrastus tells us that nature itself isn't something that is orderly and beautifully laid out according to theory, but Nature is to be studied because it's in disorder and multifarious. This is a position taken by Hannes Alfvén in regards to the Cosmos, which also said that the Cosmos disobeys the suppositions of the Mathematical theories of popular Astrophysics. Theophrastus also said that the study of nature depends on the evidence of the sense. Something close to the philosophy of Positivism. Aside from that, Theophrastus designed something almost akin to our Scientific method. Also, Theophrastus postulated that Mathematics was not an intrinsic part of Nature, but Man's invention when he looked at Nature. Something that was again, postulated in our Modern Era. Besides this, from the Ancient Greeks we get a Heliocentric theory -- which was proposed some four hundred years before the Geocentric theory for a Ptolemaic Solar system (Earth in the middle and the sun revolves around the Earth). 2 The Status of the Peripatetics had risen in the time of the Hellenist Era, and have given us many engineers (like Heron of Alexandria), thinkers (Aristotle), and scientists that added to the body of Science until the fall of the Roman Empire. Hellenistic Technology Everything that we now have, in respects to Technology except for the digital computer could have been replicated by the Ancients. Modern Warfare, however, is much more destructive with people carrying automatic rifles, machine guns, and even nuclear devices (the likes of which the World hasn't seen since the so called Chalcolithic Age.) The Ancients had robots, intricate machines (the Antikytheria Mechanism for example), an odometer invented by Archimedes, light and heavy crossbows (gastraphetes), giant crossbows (the oxybeles), and repeating weapons (the polybolos). In fact, the gastraphetes was developed by the kings of Syracuse after they got together a think tank of Scientists and Engineers. It was later Hellenistic engineers that improved on the technology where we got the oxybeles and the polybolos. There were no patents or patent law in the Hellenistic world except in the land of Sybaris. Later Hellenistic technologies included the Archimedian screw, which is used to draw water from the Nile, and the Archimedian Solar Laser -- which was made by tightly reflecting light with mirrors, and a crane that could pull ships out of the water. Lemurias' Hellenistic Age is no different in aspect. Lemurias' Hellenistic Age has the same technologies and the same innovations. However, there is no industrial revolution and no mass production. So High Technology is not as wide spread in the Alexandrian Empire as it is in our world. Technology in Phaeselis Phaeselis has two elaborate geared clocks that has been built on the upper city and the lower city. The clocks are calibrated to tell time and the movement of the planets, the sun, and the moon. They both work by cycling and recycling the water, making it an elaborate water clock. The usual citizen, and the usual Adventurer, is not apt to have a mechanical water clock. An mechanical water clock is most likely owned by the rich and powerful in Phaeselis, since they are expensive to make, although easy to calibrate. Another invention is a simple steam engine. It's mostly a toy, so anyone can procure one. Mechanical toys are also expensive to procure. They are made with sand and weights as the mechanism than water, and are programmed in much the same way as a computer is programmed. They are also likely owned by the rich and powerful. Weapons are cheap and easy to produce. Although swords are made from steel, and armors are typically made from bronze; the gastraphetes (heavy crossbow) and it's lighter counterparts (cheiroballistra) are made from wood, rope, or sinew; and can be procured by anyone who can't shoot straight with a bow and arrow. The oxybelei and the polybolei are owned by the Military and used as heavy artilery -- much like the catapults of a later era. They cannot be procured by the common man. Medical instruments include gross tools such as bone setting machines, and precision instruments such as scalpels and needles. These are needed by Vitalists. Notes 1. I actually had an indepth look on Ancient Greek Science on my blog, which I had explored some seven years ago with a friend of mine (Khan Amore) who has been put into prison. He had a web page which had strong research in which he talked about all the Philosophers of Greece and their contributions to Science. Many of which we had to rediscover. Such as the Water Cycle. I did it because I thought Greek Thought being the foundation of our Science was very cool. 2. The Status of Science and Technology in the Hellenic Age. http://kekrops.tripod.com/Hellenistic_Files/Hellenistic_Science.html Category:Science Category:Technology